Crossroads
(This story occurs some time after A Farewell and was posted on July 12 on the Utopia Skye forums by Zor Primus.) ---- Marcalo’s body ached as his eyes slowly opened to let in the early morning sun. The small cot he was given at Forest’s Edge Tower did little more then keep him off the cold stone floor of the tower. As his senses stirred he became aware acutely again of his surroundings. He lay on a straw bed over a blanket with only his cloak to cover him from the night’s chill. The seasoned mage lifted himself off the cot and began hearing the voices of the soldiers around him who were in various stages of their own morning rituals. A couple of them bowed to him as they walked by, he merely nodded and smiled. Marcalo stretched his arms up and grinned as he heard his toned muscled back crack. “Another day in paradise.” He mused playfully. Walking from the barracks room he made his way towards the hallway which would lead to a spiraled pathway up to the top of the tower. He would walk to the top and sit in his usual crossed legged position and mediate. Many things had happened to him in recent months. Adventure, danger, but most of all learning, the wizard had accumulated immense powers through his never ending readings and quests throughout the Eastern Kingdoms. Only recently had he gone well beyond the borders of the continent to Kalimdor. There after a brief stay in Theramore had explored the vast marshes of Dustwallow. The wizard smiled as he recalled meeting up with Shadah, a night elf priestess the old man had adventured with many moons ago in Lakeshire. The two had joined forces to tackle some exploring and tasks assigned to him in Stormwind. Their journey had ended up in Desolace where the two had discovered more questions then answers. Traveling back to Southshore, Marcalo with Shadah’s help completed the task of eliminating the head of the Dark Council. An Orc by the name of Nagaz was the Syndicate’s boss in the Uplands, one of the many that organization surely had. Marcalo and Shadah sat together on the shore of Lake Lordamere for what seemed an eternity. Talking about many things that they had felt and were thinking, how Shadah’s journey away from the Knights had changed her and how Marcalo felt the increasing pull to be independent. The wizard looked up into the morning sky with a smile as he recalled that evening. Then he closed his eyes and focused his concentration inward. He had mastered many aspects of the arcane and was growing more and more each day with the element of ice. He could easily manipulate the air around him to drop in temperature dramatically, and this he did as he felt the cool wetness of snow flakes fall around him. The Scarlet Monastery the evening before proved to be quite a turning point for the wizard. He had seen first hand many of his friends fall to that fanatic crusade to rid Azeroth of the undead. Pain with a flash of guilt almost broke his concentration. Marcalo did not tell Shadah or Telanis what was his hidden plans were. Yes, eliminate the principals of the Scarlet Crusade, but the arch mage of Stormwind had secretly spoken to him through a scryer. “You are to leave not one wizard alive Marcalo…you understand that the taint they cause our order will spread if it is not completely vanquished.” He had said to him with a stone cold expression, apparent even through the scryer. Marcalo obeyed his orders without question that night. Only Shadah had noted briefly his discomfort. The mage paced inside a training area, deep in torment as he had already felled a fair amount of peers that he remembered from the Academy. “Why are you pacing?” she asked him quietly. The wise mage shrugged off the question with a pointless comment about the construction of the weapons displayed and other nonsense that succeeded in making the priestess suspect he was just rambling on out of nervousness. Inside Marcalo was dying slowly with each kill. One mage in particular, a woman he had grown close to recognized him and locked her eyes with his as Telanis’ raptor finished her off with its razor sharp claws. The woman’s eyes of fear and pleading for forgiveness that would never come made him shiver. That look of sorrow that would haunt him for a long time to come. The air around the mage was so cold now even the sturdy guards in armor had to steer clear of the meditating wizard. Murder came to mind as he thought more and more about what happened the night before. While never getting charged with such, in his mind he had committed it over and over again last night. Neither of his companions understood the anguish he faced in the halls of the Monastery. Icicles were forming on the edges of the stone tower and his face. Marcalo deep in thought now came to the obvious conclusion. For weeks he had been toying with the idea to leave the Knights who were always kind to him yes, but lately had really little to offer him or him to them. The time had come for the wizard to seek out adventure on his own, answering to no one but himself as it had been before he met Lady Caliope that day in Westfall. For weeks the mage had already done much without the aid of the Knights and well the feeling of uselessness to his fellow Knights was apparent. “What good am I to them if my calls for aid go unanswered?” he whispered these words and broke out of his meditation. His grey orbs looked about and saw that he was sitting in the same position as before except there was ice all around him. Shaking the frost off him he stood up, stretching his arms out wide. “Are you alright m’lord?” a soldier asked him. Turning to him with a smile he nodded. “Yes, quite alright…please fetch me a quill and parchment there is a message I need to send.” He asked. “Right away m’lord.” The soldier saluted and ran off to comply. Marcalo was talking with the platoon commander when the soldier returned with his request. Excusing himself he walked to a nearby tree and sat down to write his letter. Dearest Caliope, It comes with a heavy heart that I write this letter to you. You have been so kind to me in my time with the Knights and I will always treasure the times spent with you and the rest. However, recent events in my life have pushed me away from all of you. Tis not your fault, nor do I seek to blame anyone for this but I feel it is best for me to depart from the Knights immediately. I have been alone for far too long and have learned that perhaps this is the best for me and my continued path towards destiny. I wish you and your clan all the best as I embark now on my own path… Light eternal, Marcalo Munovia IX The wizard felt a pang of guilt enter him as he sealed the parchment and sent off his owl to find his now former Lady. Yet he knew he made the right choice, his guilt, his torture at the events of last night was his own to combat and do so he will. The sun broke through the shade of the tree and hit him with a brightness that sent warmth down his toned body. A new day indeed had begun and here in the peace of Elwynn Forest he would begin anew… Category:Warcraft Skye RP